The worst kind of American

A married Georgia couple, Judith Paixao and Kevin Lombard, were convicted by a San Diego federal jury yesterday afternoon (July 10) of embezzling federal funds that were intended to provide job training, benefits, and equipment for Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The jury found that the couple steered some of the funds to pay personal expenses, such as a Bermuda vacation, cell-phone bills, and the costs of a New Year's Day sailing trip around San Diego Bay.

During 2007-2009, Paixao and Lombard were directors of the Wounded Marines Careers Foundation, which was supposed to train injured veterans for work in the film industry. But according to evidence provided in court, the couple submitted false claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs for training and equipment they never provided. They were also convicted of embezzling $400,000 from the foundation.